International Tiger Day: A roaring time with the tigers of India
On International Tiger Day, we take a sneak peek into the life of the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris). Wildlife enthusiasts Saurabh Pandey (@fotokatha/Instagram) and Neeraj Bantia (@neeraj.bantia/Instagram) have spent many hours tracking these majestic wild cats and share their accounts with us
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A stare down: Is there anything more amazing than watching a tiger in its natural habitat? This is Riddhi, one of India’s most sought-after tigresses in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. She seems relaxed and yet alert as she rests along a waterhole and doesn’t seem at all perturbed by the tourists. Image Courtesy: @fotokatha/Instagram
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Curious cat: Tigers are quite curious by nature and indulge in different stunts, especially if their mother is around. They are confident that someone has their back. One of Shakti’s cubs at Ranthambore sniffs around and explores a broken branch of a tree. Tigers are quite territorial in nature, marking and defending their turf against all. Image Courtesy: @fotokatha/Instagram
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Runaway: Tigers hunt alone rather than in groups. When the tiger cubs are a few months old, the tiger mother involves them in the hunting process, so they get trained at a very younger age. Typically tigers make a kill once a week, and they have the ability to consume up to 40 kilograms of food in a single sitting. In Ranthambore, Riddhi chases a herd of deer, who were grazing uninhibitedly. Springing from the tall grass where she was hiding, she went after the deer, giving them the fright of their life. Unfortunately, for Riddhi she didn’t catch her prey! Image Courtesy: @fotokatha/Instagram
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Off with his head: During their hunt, tigers stalk their future meal until they’re within six to nine metres away. Once in range, tigers target their prey’s neck, which severs its spinal cord. Larger meals may also require a fatal bite to the throat to drag them to the ground. In Karnataka’s Nagarahole tiger reserve, this tigress emerged on the road during a foggy morning with the head of a wild boar in her mouth. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Catch of the day: Tigers generally consume about an average of 35-110 lbs meat at a given time. Sonam, the iconic tigress from Tadoba on a Sambar deer kill at Jamoonjora. These wild cats prefer hunting large mammals such as deer (chital, sambar, gaur, barasingha), water buffalo, and nilgai/blue bull. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Lapping it up: After all that food and hunting, tigers are bound to be thirst. T-57, Sattavan peers into the lens of the camera as he has a drink of water in Ranthambore National Park. Waterholes play a crucial role in tiger conservation. Unlike other large cats, tigers enjoy spending time in the water, especially in hot weather, and even catch prey there. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Sibling rivalry: As in the human race, tiger siblings also tend to fight. When all grown up, their battle turns deadly as they fight for territory. In Jim Corbett National Park, the offspring of the legendary Paarwali battle it out as we keep looking on in wonder.Both the tigers escaped the battle with just injuries. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Play time: While they are young, tiger cubs can often be seen playing with their siblings. It is on whey they grow to become sub-adults that they battle for territory. In Karnataka’s Nagarahole Tiger reserve, these cubs play with each other around a waterhole while their attentive mother watches on. One will hardly see cubs without their mothers, as they are highly protective in nature. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Hugs and kisses: Two tigers enjoy a fun moment in Karnataka’s Nagarahole reserve. Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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Mommy’s love: The bond between cubs and tigers are very strong and that is depicted here in this serene image of a tigress with her cub in Karnataka’s Nagarahole Reserve. Image Courtesy: @Neeraj.Bantia/Instagram
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Rested: All that eating, playing, fighting would make anyone tired, including a tiger. This one rests even though he knows cameras are looking at him. Image Courtesy: @fotokatha/Instagram
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Showstoppers: As per the 2019 tiger census, there are 2,967 of them across India. They are the most fascinating and sought-after animals during safaris across the wildlife reserves in the country. Imagine the luck when tourists came upon this image of the tiny cubs in Corbett National Park. We have to agree with what Jim Corbett once said about the tigers: A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage… when he is exterminated — as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support — India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna". Image Courtesy: @neeraj.bantia/Instagram
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